Vehicle upholstery



Nov. 6, 1934. J. BRUCKI.

VEHICLE UPHOLSTERY Fled May l, 1930 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNETE srares ear MWZ VEHICLE UrHoLs'rnRY Application May 1, 1930, Serial No. 448,998

2 Claims.

This invention relates to upholstery and more particularly to covers for the sides and seats of vehicles, theatre seats and other surfaces where a smooth and easily replaceable cover is desired.

In covering the sides of an automobile, for example, with covers so as to protect the upholstery and form a uniform effect when seat covers are used it has been customary with wooden construction to tack the cover to the frame of the side. This method, of course, had the disadvantage of leaving unequalized stresses on the'cover with the result that the cover would tear at the several tacked points. Furthermore, such a method entailed considerable labor in attaching and detaching the covers.

Another method used was to fasten snaps to the upholstery and cover. This method, of course, was expensive inasmuch as considerable labor was necessary in orderto fasten the snaps in the proper places so as to make a good t and furthermore, the snaps were continually coming loose or unsnapping, with the result that such covers gave an untidy appearance.

At the present time automobile construction has changed so that there is very little wood used in the side structurenearly all of the frame now being of steel. The result is that the tacking method, in many cases, can no longer be used. With this metal type of construction one of the common methods for fastening covers has been to pin them to the upholstery. It is obvious, of course, that such a procedure has many disadvantages. The covers tend to come loose and the upholstery and the covers are torn, due to the unequalized strain upon both the covers and the upholstery. The result is, instead of protecting the upholstery, such a method tends to tear it and otherwise injure its appearance. Furthermore, the covers tend to sag between the fastening pins giving a scalloped effect to the edge which is unsightly and which exposes the upholstery.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to overcome the disadvantages disclosed above.

Another object of my invention is to obtain a quick and easy method for covering upholstery which gives a fine appearance and complete protection.

Another object of my invention is to obtain a method of upholstery which is adapted for use with metal body construction.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description and drawing in which,

Figure 1 shows an elevation, partially broken, y

of my type of cover,

Figure 2 shows a partially broken section taken at 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 shows a section of a side Wall taken at 3 3 of Figure l, and

Figure 4 shows a detail of a fastener.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like reference characters denote like parts, 1 designates a metal side Wall of an automobile, for example. This may be either a door or another portion of the body. The metal wall is turned in forming the flange 2. This flange 2, in the case of a door, for example, extends around the edge of the door frame as can be seen from the drawing. Resting against this frame and in particular against the flange 2, is the. supporting surface 3, which may be of cardboard,fveneer or similar material. The object of this cardboard 3 is to carry the upholstery and give it a smooth surface on which to rest. The cardboard 3 may be fastened to the flange 2 by any of the usual means common to the art. I have shown, for example, the connection accomplished by means of snaps 4 which are fastened to the cardboard and which pass through the holes 5 in the flange 2. The cardboard 3 may, therefore, be cut to the size of the frame, fitted with the snaps 4 at proper intervals and connected to the frame, thus forming a smooth inner surface of the body frame. However, before the cardboard 3 is put into place against the frame 1, it is usual to cover it with the upholstering 6, the edges of which extend around, and are secured to the rear face of, said cardboard. These edges may be held in .y

place by the snaps, sewed, laced together, or glued to the board 3, in some fashion, so that a smooth appearance is given to the upholstery. When the cardboard 3 with its upholstery cover 6 is put into place against the frame, it can be seen that there is a small crevice or crack 7 between the cardboard and the flange 2. In case the frame is of wood the supporting surface may be tacked to the frame. In any case, however, there will be a crack or crevice 7 between the supporting surface 3 and the flange 2.

The upholstery cover 8 is cut to the proper dimensions and may be made with the hem 9 extending around the periphery, to conform with the cardboard 3 and the upholstery 6 covering the cardboard. In the hem 9 there is inserted a wire or rod 10 which has suicient flexibility or pliability to conform with the curves of the hem and yet which will act as a strain distributing member and stiffening member for the edges l on automobiles.

of the upholstery cover 8. This upholstery cover 8 with the stiffening and strain distributing member 10 inserted in its hem, is laid against the cardboard or upholstery and is held in the proper positionby means of the fasteners 11. These fasteners have a portion 12 which is adapted to extend into the crevice or crack 7 between the ange 2 and the cardboard or turned in portion of the upholstery. The portion 13 of the fastener extends out around the wire or bar 10 and may be bent down so as to firmly enclose the edge portion of the cover. The point 14 'extends into the cardboard. These fasteners are spaced at intervals around the edge of the cover so as to securely hold the cover 8 in the `proper position. The wire or bar 10 takes care of any strain which the cover must bear at points between the fasteners.

It is seen, therefore, that the stiffening 4members 10 prevent the cover from becoming scalloped between the fasteners and thus `expose the upholstery and give an untidy appearance. Furthermore, there is little chance for the cover to become torn at any fastening point. The cover may be easily removed by merely lifting portion 13 of the fasteners 11 and withdrawing them far enough so that the cover may be lifted off. The member l0 may be slipped out yof the hem and Athe covers folded or laundered.

In certain cases it may be desirable to `fasten stiifening members to the cover without the use of a hem such as, for example, by sewing or clipping the member on the inside edge of the cover.

My method of fastening-covers may also be used without the stiifening elements. This method is a 'great improvement over the former method of pinning the side covers to the upholstery las in my method there is no possibility of injury to the upholstery.

`It is obvious that this type of cover and fastening has many lother applications besides that It may be used wherever there are contiguous parts which will retain the fasteners l1. Theatre seats, for example, may be covered in this manner. Also walls may be covered with fabric or other material.

While I have shown only a single form of fastener l1, I may use one which is continuous and which has prongs at intervals. Such a type would give an appearance of a metal edge of the cover 8. I also may use this cover as a means for uphol- 4stering the sides of automobiles, for example.

I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited by the specification or drawing, but only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with an automobile structure comprising a body wall and an upholstered portion secured thereto of a cover section for the upholstered portion having an edge reinforced by a removable strain distributing member, and a fastening element made of pliable material having a prong adapted to be inserted between adjacent parts of the automobile structure and frictionally engaged thereby, Said vprong being adapted to -be bent around said reinforced edge and having an anchorage member adapted to cover section and the -automobile structure and be removable therefrom.

' JOI-INBRUCKL. 

